On Saturday and Sunday, the public will be invited into the home of artists along Highway 263 for the fittingly titled 263 Art Studio Tour.

Itâs the second annual self-guided art studio tour in the area, artist June Ricklefs said, noting that last yearâs Woodland Studio Tour saw about 50 people visit her home-based studio.

âThere are a lot of artists out there -- people who we donât really know are there,â she said.

âTheyâre working at their studios and putting up their art here and there, but we donât really know about them. This is why the tour is a good idea, so people get to know why they are.â

For fellow artist Bill Nelson, this is his and his wife, Barbâs, first time participating in a self-guided art studio tour.

âI wanted to be part of it because art is a passion for me, and I think that itâs important to be able to display it and have people see it and hopefully relate to it,â he said.

Billâs specialty is abstract art -- an art form he said people interpret differently subconsciously, unconsciously and consciously. Open for interpretation, the art form leaves plenty of room for discussion, he noted.

Barbâs specialty is in photography -- specifically wildlife photography, though she enters the realm of abstract from time to time, finding beauty or intrigue in things most people either take for granted or would not typically focus on.

There are a lot of artists out there -- people who we donât really know are there.June Ricklefs

This is exactly the type of thing that the 263 Art Studio Tour will provide its participants, Bill said, noting that the 12 participating artists all have a little something to share with their guests.

âThese are people who experience the beauty and the wonder and the awe of the seasons and the wild,â he summarized.

Artists will have various pieces up for sale, as well as guide visitors through the creative process, with visitors able to see what tools make the creations up for sale.

âItâs just nice to have people come to your studio -- your home -- to see where you work,â Ricklefs summarized.

Hoping for good weather, Ricklefs noted that there is plenty of other things for people to do in the Christopher Lake area for people interested in making a day of it.

With restaurants and beaches in the area, it would make a nice day out, she encouraged.

A list and map of those involved in the weekend-long self-guided art studio tour is available online, at www.263artstudiotour.com.

Brochures are also available at the On the Avenue Artisanâs Gallery, at 911 Central Ave. in downtown Prince Albert.